There’re More Cell Phones in India than Toilets: UN Report
A new UN report has revealed that there are more cell phones in India than toilets and basic sanitation, reported PTI.
“It is a tragic irony to think that in India, a country now wealthy enough that roughly half of the people own phones, about half cannot afford the basic necessity and dignity of a toilet,” Zafar Adeel, Director of United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, was quoted as saying.
“Popular education about the health dangers of poor sanitation is also needed. But this simple measure could do more to save lives, especially those of young people, improve health and help pull India and other countries in similar circumstances out of poverty than any alternative investment.
“It can also serve as a very significant boost to the local economy,” he was quoted as saying.
India has 545 million cell phones, a number that far exceeds the number of people who have access to toilet or sanitation facilities – only about 366 million, or 31 percent of the 1-billion strong population.
